Mechanism for operating sealing-heads of jar-capping machines.



E. D. SCHMITT. MBCHANISM FOR OPERATING SEALING HEADS 0F JAR GAPPING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR-18,1913. LQQSQ. A Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

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E. D. SCHMITT. MEGHANISM PoR OPERATING sEALNG HEADS 0F JAR GAPPING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1913. 1.91295? 39. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

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EMTED STATES PATENT OFEIQE.

EDWARD D. SCHMITT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE PURE FOOD PROCESS COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING SEALINGr-HEADS OF JAR-CAPPING MACHINES.

Application filed April 18, 1913.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD I). SCHMITT, citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invente-d certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Operating Sealing- Heads of Jar-Capping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for applying jar caps, and more particularly to a mechanism for operating the sealing heads thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide a mechanism wherein the pressure applied to the cap, to seat the same, upon the jar, will be entirely independent of the pressure applied fo the flange of the cap in the crimping operation, and the provision of a means whereby the pressure applied for seating the cap will be predetermined and limited in each sealing operation.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, with so much of the conveyer mechanism attached thereto as to show the relative position of the sealing heads to the conveyer; Fig. 2 is an endelevation of the machine, parts being in section, Fig. 1, the conveyer being omitted; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View of the lower part of one of the sealing heads; Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the jar support; and Fig. 5 is a broken sectional view of the upper part of the jar, with cap applied, the cap and' jar being of the type designed to be operated upon by the machine.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main frame of the machine, having a bracket 2 at one end, which supports a number of sprocket-wheels 3 that support and guide a conveyer 4. These sprocket-wheels are mounted upon a shaft 5, to the outer end of which is attached a toothed wheel 6, the teeth being successively engaged by the pawl 7 carried by a rockerarm 8 loose upon the shaft 5, whereby the conveyer is moved with a step by step movement, the movement of the arm 8 being dependent upon an adjustable rod 9 connected with the crank 10 on the outer end of a transverse shaft 11, suitably mounted inthe frame. This conveyer is provided at intervals, with a series of cross bars 11', which engage the jars and move them along the' upper surface of the fra-me with a step by Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

serial No. 762,148.

step movement, and the movement is so timed that the conveyer will halt at intervals, so as to permit the jars to remain stationary for a short time upon the bottle supports, and beneath the sealing heads, as will appear. This conveyer mechanism forms no part of the present mechanism, and will not be further referred to herein.

The numeral 12 designates four hollow columns, arranged two on each side of the .frame l. These columns are, as shown best 1n Fig. 2, arranged in staggered order, so that the sealing heads supported between the columns will be in direct vertical line above the jar supports, and since they and the mechanism carried by them, are duplicated, a description of one will serve as a description of both. Suitably mounted in the frame 1, and parallel with the shaft 11, is a shaft 13'. The shaft has keyed thereto, the gear wheel 14 which meshes with a gear wheel 15 mounted upon shaft 16, supported in standards 17, which in turn meshes with the gear wheel 18 on the shaft 11. Driving power is applied to the shaft 16, and through the gear wheel 15 and gears 14: and 18, impart motion to the shafts 11 and 13. The shafts have cranks 19, within the columns 12, and connected vwith these cranks are pitman rods 20, which are connected with the reciproca-ting rods 21, which are guided in adjustable threaded bushings 22, and as shown in the front columns of Fig. 2, in dotted lines, the cranks and pitman rods are duplicated on both sides of the frame, so that a4 uniform reciprocating motion will be imparted to the parts of the sealing head. The dotted lines showing this structure are omitted from the rear columns, to` prevent confusion.

Supported by laterally extending arms 22', below the sealing heads, are the jar supports 23. These supports are arranged, one slightly in advance ofthe other, so as to be directly beneath the sealing'heads and directly in line with the conveyer, so that at points of. stoppage of the conveyer, the

' ars will be successively brought to position upon the supports, and below the head parts.

The sealing head is lconstructed in two main parts, one for applying the pressure to the cap to seat the same and press the gasket therein upon the lip ofA the jar preliminary to the crimping or locking ofthe flange of the cap, and the other for actuating the 'crlmping lingers carried by the head, to

` ber 25. The plunger is recessed at its under l central plugs engagement with the flange end as indicated at 30 for the reception of the cap and mouth of the jar, and radially arranged within the lower part 31 of the plunger is a series of indenting fingers 32, which comprise two plugs 33 having springs 34 interposed between them, the inner plugs being provided with indenting points 35, which, in the sealing-operation, as will be described, are forced simultaneously into of the cap, to indent it at intervals under, and into locking engagement with the locking surface of the jar. -Within the end of the outer or crimping member of the head, is a ring 36, havinga cam-surface 37, adapted to bevengaged by the outer plugs of the indenting .v'ngers 32 in the sealing operation.

Carried on the tops of the sleeves 27 of the cross head 26, are cups 38 which contain coil springs 39, surrounding the upper re# duced portions cups are provided with screw-caps 40 having 41 therein, into which the upper ends of the rods 21 are threaded, which plugs, as will appear from the description of the operation, may move with the rods in the downward movement thereof, vwhich is in excess of the movement of the cross head 26.

, The tension of the springs 39 may be varied by adjusting the caps 40 and the distance to which the cross-head 26 may descend may be regulated by the threaded bushings 22, which bushings serve as fstops cross-head, as will appear.

The bottle support comprises a cup 43, in the bottom of which is a washer 44, through which works a rod 45, whichhas a head 46 which supports the upper telescping member 47 of thev support, and interposed between the head 46 and washer 44 is a sealing spring 48. The lower end of the rod is Vprovided with nuts by which the tension of the spring may be varied, and I provide, in the-bottom of each support, a threaded plug 49 having a cup 50 therein, which allows for the movement of the rod. rlhis plug may be removed to gain access to the adjusting nuts andthe plug is held in adjusted position .by a lo nut 51. Embedded in the 28 of the rods 21. These/ of rubber or other compressible material 52,

and while .l have described one of these bottlegsupp'orts, it will be understood that there is one for each sealing head. rlhe spring 48 within the support is adjusted for just ,the pressure that is required and desired to be applied to the cap in seating'it on the jar, unassisted by any action of the plunger 29 of the sealing head, which plunger moves down with a positive predetermined unyielding movement, Iand all the pressure produced by the tension of the springs 48, which, as before suggested, are adjusted for the proper pressure. j In operation, when the shafts 11 and 13 are rotated through the described gears, the rods 21 will, through the lpitman rod connections,A reciprocating rods 21, and the e movement of said plunger until the sleeves 27 engage the bushings 22, when the downward movement of the cross-head 26 and plunger 29, will be arrested and at this time, the spring 28 within the bottle support will have been compressed sufficiently to apply the requisite pressure to the cap, and the sealing gasket therein. No further vertical pressure, can then be applied to the cap. However, it is now necessary to indent or lock the flange of the cap into engagementwith the locking shoulder ofthe jar. This is brought about by a slight excessive movement of the rods21, which are still being 'drawn downward by the crank and pitman connection, and this excessivey movement will be against the influence of the springs 39, within the lcups 38. through the arms 24, pinned to the rods 21, and which arms carry the outer or crim ing member 25, the inclined suriaces 37 o the ring 36 within. this member will be brought into'engagement with the outer ends 'of the indenting lingers, causing them to move inward simultaneously, to indent the ange b of the cap, and when the cranks have passed a given point, obviously, the rods and parts carried thereby will move upward together, the movement of the outer crimping memberof the head having been slightly yin eX- cess in downward movement of the pressure applying plunger Having thus fully tion, what I claim is -1. A bottle-capping machine, having in that is put upon the cap is` Thus,

described my invenl combination a -suitable bottle-support, and a sealing-head comprising two members including cross-heads, columns for supporting said members, one member beingadapted to seat the cap on the bottle with a positive, non-yielding pressure, and the other adapted to cause the locking of the cap to the bottle, both members having a simultaneous downward movement, the movement 'of one'being limited upon contact of one of the crossheads with the supporting columns, and the other having a continuous movement beyond the member having the limited movement.

2. A bottle-capping machine, having in combination, a yieldable bottle-support, and a sealing-head comprising a non-yieldable cap-seating member provided with lockingdevices, and a member adapted to act upon the locking-devices, cross-heads operatively connected to the members, columns for supporting said cross-heads, adjustable bushings carried by the columns, the two members being capable of simultaneous movement in a downward direction, the movement of the cap-seating member being lmited upon engagementvwith said bushings and the' movement of the other member being continuous beyond that of the said capseating member.

3. A bottle-capping machine, having in combination a yielding bottle-support, a non-yieldable cap-seating member carrying locking fingers, a member provided with means arranged to act upon the locking-fingers, means for moving both members simultaneously in a downward direction, means' for limiting the movement of the cap seating member before the movement of the member is completed, whereby the further movement of said other member will cause the acting means of such member to force the locking-fingers into engagement with the cap, and thereby lock the same to the bottle.

4. A bottle capping machine comprising columns, rods reciprocable in the columns, upper and lower cross-heads, the lower crosshead being fixed to the rods, and the upper cross-head being yieldably and slidably connected to said rods, a sealing head comprising two members, one member being fixed to Athe lower cross-head and the other fixed to the upper cross-head, both members having simultaneous movement downwardly, the movement of one member being limited upon engagement of the upper cross-head with the columns, and the other having a movement continuous with the rods, one member serving to seat a cap on a bottle and the other -to cause the locking of the cap to the bottles.

ln testimony whereof l aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. l

' EDWARD D. SCHMITT. Witnesses:

JAMES L. CRAWFORD, -TrrmN W. JoHNsoN.

other 

